WATCH ABOVE: An EPS report finds Edmonton’s police service is responding to a high percentage of calls involving non-residents. Eric Szeto has reaction.
EDMONTON — A review by the Edmonton Police Service shows 29.5 per cent of all police interactions that led to arrests in 2014 involved people who don’t live in Edmonton.
“This is yet more evidence that the city is carrying the load for the region and the north and that we need some assistance with that,” said Mayor Don Iveson.
“All we’re really looking for at the end of the day is equity with what smaller municipalities are getting for policing grants,” he added.
“I think that would go along away.”
Some smaller Alberta communities get upwards of 30 per cent of their police budget funded through provincial grants.
READ MORE: Edmonton police service wants to add 400 positions in five years
The review found nearly 27 per cent of tickets in 2014 were given to individuals who don’t call the city home. Eighteen per cent of calls for service case files involved non-residents, and 13 per cent of online crime reported involved those living outside Edmonton.
(View the report’s findings below.)
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The report found patrol officers spent 193,850 hours responding to calls involving non-residents, which accounted for 20 per cent of 2014 calls. Many of those, however, involved City of Edmonton residents. The calls dealing with non-residents cost the Community Policing Bureau about $27.4 million.
That same year, the Municipal Policing Grant from the province was $13.1 million.
READ MORE: Edmonton police seek funding for 84 new positions
Edmonton police have said in the past the service faces unique challenges given that the city is a hub to northern Canada and northern Alberta, but only about six to seven per cent of the EPS budget is funded by the province. The city hopes these numbers will spark a discussion with the province about more equitable policing funding.
“If we get that through changes to the provincial budget over time or through a city charter, either way it’s fairness to our taxpayers which is what we’re really looking for here,” said Iveson.
But, given the current fiscal climate, elected officials realize it will be a tough sell.
“We need to be realistic that we’re not going to solve this problem overnight with the province in the situation that it’s in fiscally,” said Iveson.
“But as they recover from that we’re going to be looking for solutions for some of the challenges and work that Edmonton deals with on behalf of northern Alberta.”
Edmonton’s police chief previously said the force is having to forgo other investigations due to inadequate resources.
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Edmonton Councillor Michael Oshry pointed out issues like homelessness and mental health compound the pressure on local police. Those are challenges that should be addressed with help from provincial and federal governments, he said.
“We’re picking up the pieces in those areas but it’s not possible to keep doing it because those costs are sky-rocketing and the volumes are increasing.
“We can’t do it by ourselves.”
Alberta’s justice minister said in a statement:
“I recognize that many of our municipalities are dealing with pressures on their policing services as a result of recent population growth, and I remain open to discussing these challenges with them,” said minister Jonathan Denis.
“Our government provides a half a billion dollars for municipal and provincial policing services across the province. In coming days, Budget 2015 will be delivered and it will reflect our ongoing commitment to the safety and security of Albertans, and Alberta’s communities.”
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